Presidential speech given to the general assembly of the UCS on 22 August 1980 in Geneva

The speech to the Geneva conference relates to recent and future developments in Switzerland in the production of electricity. Total electricity consumption in Switzerland fell by 1.7% during the 1975 recession, but otherwise has continued to grow steadily and is expected to increase at about 3.7% annually until 1984 and 2.5% thereafter. Hydro-electricity has contributed 71% of total electricity generation so far. References are made to the recent legal changes permitting increased use in nuclear energy and to nuclear stations already built or under development. In other energy consumption fields, natural gas has expanded most rapidly, almost three times in 10 years. Expansion into oil usage was retarded by the Middle East crisis. Some plans made for rationing electricity consumption to meet future crises are quoted. (G.C.)